its of the
paddle his head came to be on the ten-dollar bills of Canada, set in
dignity and feathers; and hear "Big John," famous for years as a
steamboat pilot, describe his annual shooting of the Lachine Rapids at
the opening of navigation, when, first of all the pilots, he goes down
in his canoe,--this is a time-honored custom,--so that the others may be
sure that it is safe to follow.

He will give us the story, too, amid nods of approval, of shooting these
same rapids for a wager on a certain New Year's Day, and coming down
safely, ice and all. There, sir, is the paddle he used, if you doubt the
tale, and the canoe lies out in the snow.

And be sure we shall not have been long in Caughnawaga without hearing
of the proud part these Indians took in the British expedition up the
Nile in 1884 to relieve Khartum. Treasured in more than one household
are these words of Lord Wolseley, written to the governor-general of
Canada: "I desire to place on record not only my own opinion, but that
of every officer connected with the management of the boat columns, that
the services of these voyageurs has been of the greatest possible
value.... They have on many occasions shown not only great skill but
also great courage in navigating their boats through difficult and
dangerous waters."

"How many men did Caughnawaga send on this expedition?" I inquired.

"Fifty-five men besides Louis Jackson," said one of the Indians.

"Oh," said I; "and--and who is Louis Jackson?"

The Indian's face showed plain disgust that there should be any one who
did not know all about Louis Jackson.

"Louis Jackson was the leader. He is our chief man. He lives over
there."

It resulted in my calling on Mr. Jackson, a big, powerful man, fully
meriting, I should say, the high opinion in which he is held. If there
is any Indian strain in him it must be very slight; he would pass,
rather, for an uncommonly energetic Englishman, with such a fund of
adventure to his credit, and so entertaining a way of drawing upon it,
that one would listen for hours while he talks.

Jackson made clear to me what important duty was given the Canadian
voyageurs in this Nile campaign. By their success or failure in taking
heavy-laden boats up the cataracts Lord Wolseley proposed to decide
whether the troops for Gordon's relief should go straight up the Nile or
around by the Red Sea and the desert. It was the river if they
succeeded; it was the desert if they failed: and